Fourth MIA cargo partner recognized for pharma excellence

Amerijet International is first U.S. all-cargo airline certified by IATA

MIAMI (August
21, 2017) —

Miami International Airport (MIA), the busiest U.S. airport for international freight and the only one in North America designated a pharmaceutical (pharma) freight hub by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), celebrated cargo partner Amerijet’s certification for pharma excellence by IATA at a presentation ceremony on August 17. Amerijet is the first U.S. all-cargo airline to receive IATA’s prestigious Center of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) pharma certification.

In 2015, MIA was designated a pharma hub by IATA for organizing nine of its logistics providers to undergo the CEIV program. Since then, four companies at MIA have achieved the certification: Swissport (the first cargo handling company at MIA as well as the first Swissport station in North America to be certified); LATAM Cargo (the first CEIV-certified airline in the Americas); and international freight forwarding giant Kuehne & Nagle.

IATA, the trade association for the world’s airlines that represents some 265 airlines or 83 percent of total air traffic, created the CEIV program to certify that pharma products are transported in accordance with global best practices.

Amerijet, MIA’s seventh-busiest airline for freight tonnage, plans to expand its operations at the cargo hub in 2018 with two weekly freighter flights between Brussels Airport and MIA – the world’s first two IATA-designated pharma hubs.

“This certification reconfirms our commitment to offering the highest consistent quality, professionalism and transparency to our customers. Being the first all-cargo airline from the U.S. to receive the CEIV in Pharmaceutical Logistics is a direct result of hard work and the investments we have made over the last few years to our Temperature Controlled (ATC) program,” said Vic Karjian, President and CEO of Amerijet International Airlines.

MIA has also taken on significant security and infrastructure improvements to guarantee a secure operation and maximize efficiency, both of which have helped expedite the large cargo volume that comes through the airport.

A multi-million dollar facility improvement program launched last year included new surveillance cameras and lighting throughout the airport’s cargo area to improve security monitoring, crime deterrence, and overall safety of MIA and cargo partner property. Also last year, MIA became one of the first six U.S. cargo hub airports in 2016 to launch the e-AWB 360 campaign – a global effort to eliminate printing costs, replace manual data entry with a more efficient and reliable digital system, and pave the way toward a completely e-freight cargo industry.

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